Unaccompanied children sleep on the floor in shifts in Greece’s ‘Model Camps’.

Lydia Emmanouilidou, Corina Petridi, Luděk Stavinoha, Stavros Malichudis, May Bulman, Iliana Papangeli, Galatia Iatraki, Lorenz Naegeli, Osama Abdullah, and Lukas Haeuptli were selected for the 2026 Shortlist with Unaccompanied children sleep on the floor in shifts in Greece’s ‘Model Camps’. The EU is aware.

EU-funded refugee camps on Greece’s islands are presented as “model facilities” designed to ensure dignified reception conditions. But a cross-border investigation by Solomon, Republik and WAV Recherchekollektiv finds that unaccompanied children sleep on floors in shifts amid severe overcrowding and neglect. Drawing on dozens of internal EU documents obtained through freedom of information requests, interviews with minors, lawyers and officials, and accounts from sources inside the camps, the reporting reveals how hundreds of children are left in degrading conditions — even as Greek and European authorities are aware of the situation.

Lydia Emmanoulidou is an investigative journalist and audio producer based in Greece. Her work focuses on migration, human rights, and the expanding role of surveillance in Europe and has appeared in publications including Al Jazeera, The Guardian, The New York Times and Solomon.

Lorenz Naegeli is a journalist based in Switzerland who works with the independent research collective WAV (www.wav.info), which publishes investigations in collaboration with numerous media partners. He focuses on issues such as arms and surveillance technology, corporate and state power, and human rights.

Luděk Stavinoha is a researcher based at the University of East Anglia. With expertise in EU Freedom of Information mechanisms, he has collaborated on a number of cross-border investigations in the areas of security, surveillance, and migration. Alongside academic publications, his work has appeared in various outlets, including The Guardian, El Pais, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and Solomon.

Lukas Häuptli heads the Politics & Research department at Republik and is a lecturer at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Prior to that, he worked for the NZZ am Sonntag and the Tages-Anzeiger. He has focus and expertise in topics on migration and Swiss politics.

Osama Abdullah is a data journalist with the WAV research collective. He investigates financial flows and corporate structures for violations of environmental and human rights standards by corporations. Osama is also interested in the effects of digitalization on society and democracy.

May Bulman is an investigative journalist with Lighthouse Reports.

Iliana Papangeli is an investigative journalist, editor, and Managing Director of Solomon, an award-winning investigative newsroom in Greece dedicated to public-interest journalism.

Corina Petridi is an investigative journalist based in Athens.

Galatia Iatraki shapes and develops the visual content of Solomon’s projects, ensuring a consistent visual identity throughout. Her work includes illustration and design, data and information visualization, as well as photo and video editing and curation.

Stavros Malichudis is an Athens-based reporter for Greek investigative outlet Solomon. His work has previously appeared in places such as the BBC, AFP, El País, Lighthouse Reports and Investigate Europe.